Protective cap for a container

ABSTRACT

A protective cap or cover for a container wherein a generally cylindrical skirt has one end edge engageable with one end of the container, the other end of the skirt being closed by a cap top, and jaws depending interiorly of the cap top for engagement beneath an enlargement, collar or head on the container, while projections are provided exteriorly on the cap top operatively associated with respective jaws for effecting resilient displacement of the latter away from each other to release the enlargement or head.

United States Patent lsral J. Markowitz 17 Morrison St., Closter, NJ. 07624 53,855

July 10, 1970 Jan. 1 l, 1972 [72] Inventor [21 Appl. No. [22] Filed [45] Patented [54] PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A CONTAINER 7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

52 U.S.Cl 220/60R,

2l5/9,2l5/4l 51 lnt.Cl ..B65d55/02 50 Field ofSearch 220/60 R,

60 A, DIG. 19, 55 G; 2l5/9.41

3,430,798 3/1969 Berg..... 3,434,614 3/1969 Moller Primary Examiner-George E. Lowrance Attorneys-Henry A. Marzullo, Jr. and Lilling & Siegel ABSTRACT: A protective cap or cover for a container wherein a generally cylindrical skirt has one end edge engageable with one end of the container, the other end of the skirt being closed by a cap top, and jaws depending interiorly of the cap top for engagement beneath an enlargement. collar or head on the container, while projections are provided exteriorly on the cap top operatively associated with respective jaws for effecting resilient displacement of the latter away from each other to release the enlargement or head.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,272,369 9/1966 Grimsley 215/41 X PROTECTIVE CAP FOR A CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As is well known to those versed in the art, there are many packaging situations wherein access to the contents of a container is desirably limited, say to adults capable of reading instruction, or to prevent unauthorized tampering or pilferage, or otherwise restricted, as desired. This is particularly true of many aerosols or spray containers, and also of bottled medicines, and the like.

While the instant invention has been illustrated in the drawings herein in association with an aerosol can and a bottle, and will be described hereinafter with specific reference thereto, it is appreciated that the protective cap of the present invention is capable of many varied applications, all of which are intended to be comprehended herein.

In prior protective cap constructions of the general type referred to above, there have been serious difficulties. For example, certain of such protective caps require destruction or damage to gain access to the container contents, while others have been found relatively complex in construction, and consequently expensive to manufacture and difficult and unreliable in use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a protective cap for a container of the type described which is extremely simple in structure, for economy in manufacture and assembly, and which can be quickly and easily operated by an extremely simple, but deliberate manual actuation, to achieve the desired limiting access, say to literate adults, as well as to prevent tampering by requiring the expenditure of time in reading the operating instructions.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope will be indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a top perspective view illustrating a protective cap of the present invention, certain hidden parts being shown in dashed lines.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the protective cap of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, illustrating the protective cap thereof in operative association with an aerosol can.

FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 3, but illustrating a protective cap of the present invention in operative association with a bottle.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the preferred mode of manual operation of the instant device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIGS. l-3 thereof, a protective cap is there generally designated 10, and may advantageously be integrally fabricated of suitable material, say plastic, as by molding or other suitable means.

The cap may include a generally cylindrical side or outer wall 11 having its lower end open and there terminating in a generally circular inner end edge 12. The upper or outer end of cylindrical wall 11 may be closed, as by a generally fiat cap top or circular top wall 13.

Spaced radially inwardly from the cylindrical sidewall 11, the cap top 13 is provided on its inner or underside with a pair of generally semicircular or arcuate depending inner walls 15, being generally concentric with respect to the sidewall 11 and cap top 13, and being spaced to define slits or slots, as at 16, between adjacent ends of the arcuate inner walls or segments 15. Provided on the lower or inner end of each arcuate wall I5 is an inturned lip or ledge 17, the corners 17a of which may be beveled to facilitate removal of the cap best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. For reasons which will become apparent hereinafter, each arcuate depending inner wall 15 and its associated lip or ledge 17 may be considered as a retainer or jaw, so that there are at least a pair of facing spaced retainers or jaws l5, 17 located in an array generally coaxial with the outer wall I l.

Upstanding from or projecting exteriorly on the cap top or end wall 13 are a pair of upstanding, arcuate wall membersor lugs 18, each being generally semicircular in configuration and located in alignment with a respective arcuate inner wall member 15. Thus, the upstanding members 18 define a generally circular array coaxially aligned with the array of jaws l5, l7 and having slits or slots therebetween, as at 19. each in respective alignment with the slits or slots 16.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the wall thickness or section of each jaw l5, l7 and its associated upstanding member or lug 18, is relatively great, as compared to the wall thickness or section of the cap top 13. These thicknesses or sections are selected to afford a desired degree of resilient flexibility to the cap top 13, and a desired degree of relative rigidity between each jaw I5, 17 and its aligned upstanding member or lug 18. Of course, other suitable means of effecting this desired relative rigidity between wall portions 15 and 18, and resilient flexibility of cap top wall 13 may be employed, if desired. The selection of wall sections or other suitable design results in resilient flexure of the cap top 13 to effect swinging displacement of the jaws l5, 17 toward and away from each other upon respective swinging displacement of the lugs 18 away from and toward each other. Thus, upon the application of force to lugs 18 in the directions of arrows 20, the lugs are displaced toward each other, while the jaws l5, 17 are displaced away from each other in the directions of arrows 21.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the protective cap 10 is illustrated in operative association with an aerosol container or can, which may be generally designated 25. The can 25 may be conventional, and may be described as including a cylindrical sidewall 26, an end wall 27 on one end of the cylindrical sidewall 26, being joined thereto by a circumferentially extending bead 28. The end wall 27 is provided with an outstanding reduced portion or neck 28 having formed thereon an enlargement, collar or head 29. Centrally within the enlargement, head or collar 29 may be provided the manually actuable dispenser valve 30, all of which is generally conventional.

In association with the above-described aerosol can 25, the skirt 11 may have its inner end or edge in abutting engagement with the end 27 of the can or engaging the bead 32. The jaws l5, 17 are circumposed in their circular array about the reduced or necked or portion 28, having their lips or ledges l7 engaged beneath spaced locations of the enlarged head or collar 29. Thus, the jaws l5, l7 retain the protective cap 10 on the aerosol container 25, while the inner end or edge 12 of the wall 11 limits movement of the protective cap toward the can. The protective cap is thus effectively retained in position on the can protectively covering, obscuring and preventing access to the valve 30. Also, while the protective cap 10 may be freely rotated in the above-described condition on the can 25, it may not be removed or otherwise dislodged to afford access to the valve 30, except by the deliberate manual actuation shown in FIG. 5.

It will there be seen that squeezing of the upstanding members or lugs 18 between a persons fingers to displace the lugs toward each other will effect outward swinging or displacement of the jaws 15 to release their retaining engagement with respect to the enlargement, collar or head 29, thereby permitting removal of the protective cap 10 for access to the valve 30. Of course, the protective cap may be replaced by reversal of the above-described procedure.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the protective cap la may be essentially similar to the protective cap 10, being shown only of different proportions. Thus, the protective cap a includes a generally cylindrical outer sidewall lla having its lower end open and terminating in a lower end edge 12a, the upper end being closed by a generally flat, circular closure wall or cap top 13a. Depending internally from the cap top 13a are a plurality of annularly arranged, arcuate jaws 15a, and upstanding from the exterior of the cap top 130 are a plurality of annularly arranged arcuate actuation members or upstanding lugs 18a. The sections or thicknesses of these members are related so as to insure relative rigidity between each jaw 15a and its associated, aligned upstanding member 18a, while also assuring resilient flexibility of the cap top 13a. in the manner described in connection with protective cap 10.

in FIG. 4 it will be observed that the protective cap 10a is associated in its protective relation with a bottle-type container a wherein one end wall 27a is provided with an outlet neck 28a having an end enlargement, bead or collar 29a. In its associated relationship, the protective cap 10a has its lower or inner end 12a engaging the bottle end wall 27a, while the jaws 15:: are in retaining engagement beneath the enlargement 29a to hold the cap in its protective covering relation with respect to the bottle closure 30a, in the same manner as described hereinbefore.

In view of the foregoing illustration and description, it will now be apparent that the present invention provides a protective cap for containers of different styles and types which effectively protects the containers from unauthorized tampering, as well as from the accidents to which young children are prone. It will further be appreciated that the instant invention fully accomplishes its intended objects.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention. For example, the outer walls or skirts 11 and 11a may be other than cylindrical, there may be provided stiffening ribs or webs at various locations, and other changes may be effected, as desired, without departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A protective cap for a container having a reduced neck on one end and an enlargement on said neck, said cap comprising an outer skirt for location in spaced surrounding rela tion with said enlargement and having an inner extremity engageable with one container end, a cap top extending across the outer extremity of said skirt for location over said enlargement, said cap top being of resiliently flexible material, a pair of spaced jaws depending from the interior of said cap top for engagement beneath spaced locations of said enlargement. said jaws being displaceable away from and toward each other upon flexure of said cap top, and a plurality of upstanding members exteriorly on said cap top each being relatively rigid with a respective one of said jaws and displaceable toward and away from each other upon cap top flexure and jaw movement away from and toward each other, respectively, said upstanding members being presented for manually actuable relative movement to effect selective release of said jaws.

2. A protective cap according to claim 1, said skirt, cap top, jaws and upstanding members all being integrally fabricated of plastic material, said upstanding members and jaws being of relatively thick section for stiffness and said cap top being of relatively thin section for resilient flexibility.

3. A protective cap according to claim 2, said jaws each being generally arcuate in plan view for conforming engagement with a generally circular enlargement.

4. A protective cap according to claim 3, said upstanding members being generally arcuate in plan view and in respective alignment with said jaws for enhancing said relative rigidity.

5. A protective cap according to claim 1, said skirt being generally cylindrical, and said cap top being lgenerally flat.

6. A protective cap according to claim said upstanding members and jaws being of approximately twice the thickness of said cap top, to achieve said relative rigidity and resilient flexibility.

7. A protective cap according to claim 1, said upstanding members each being of a height externally of said cap top approximately equal to the height of each jaw internally of said cap top. 

1. A protective cap for a container having a reduced neck on one end and an enlargement on said neck, said cap comprising an outer skirt for location in spaced surrounding relation with said enlargement and having an inner extremity engageable with one container end, a cap top extending across the outer extremity of said skirt for location over said enlargement, said cap top being of resiliently flexible material, a pair of spaced jaws depending from the interior of said cap top for engagement beneath spaced locationS of said enlargement, said jaws being displaceable away from and toward each other upon flexure of said cap top, and a plurality of upstanding members exteriorly on said cap top each being relatively rigid with a respective one of said jaws and displaceable toward and away from each other upon cap top flexure and jaw movement away from and toward each other, respectively, said upstanding members being presented for manually actuable relative movement to effect selective release of said jaws.
 2. A protective cap according to claim 1, said skirt, cap top, jaws and upstanding members all being integrally fabricated of plastic material, said upstanding members and jaws being of relatively thick section for stiffness and said cap top being of relatively thin section for resilient flexibility.
 3. A protective cap according to claim 2, said jaws each being generally arcuate in plan view for conforming engagement with a generally circular enlargement.
 4. A protective cap according to claim 3, said upstanding members being generally arcuate in plan view and in respective alignment with said jaws for enhancing said relative rigidity.
 5. A protective cap according to claim 1, said skirt being generally cylindrical, and said cap top being generally flat.
 6. A protective cap according to claim 1, said upstanding members and jaws being of approximately twice the thickness of said cap top, to achieve said relative rigidity and resilient flexibility.
 7. A protective cap according to claim 1, said upstanding members each being of a height externally of said cap top approximately equal to the height of each jaw internally of said cap top. 